Introduction to Multimedia

1. Introduction to Multimedia SMM 2005 Jabatan Multimedia, FSKTM, UPM

2. Introduction to Multimedia • Chapter 8 AUTHORING TOOLS

3. Objectives • How multimedia products are created and authored. • What kinds of multimedia authoring tools you have to choose from to suit your project needs. • How various multimedia authoring tools work.

4. What is an Authoring Tools • The tools by which various media components are brought together (integrated) into a structure and flow.

5. Authoring Metaphors • Most media integration tools will take or use one of the following metaphors: • Movie screen metaphor • Slide show metaphor • Linked screens

6. Authoring Metaphors • Movie screen metaphor • Movie refers to the product of the authoring: • Linear/Interactive movie • Also refers to authoring tools paradigm that contains Cast/Score/Scripting • Example: Macromedia Director Cast Stage Score

7. Authoring Metaphors • Slide show metaphor • A linear presentation • Example: Powerpoint

8. Authoring Metaphors • Linked Screens • A group of scene linked together

9. Features of Authoring Tools • Most Authoring tool have the following features in their development interface: • A list of media events • Iconic flowchart / timeline • Card stack • A series of figures

10. Features of Authoring Tools • A list of media events • Occurrences of scene, images, sound,action in the end product.

11. Features of Authoring Tools • Iconic flowchart / timeline • Controls event sequence.

12. Features of Authoring Tools • Card stack (tabs) • Easy viewing if there is too many item on screen. Card stack

13. Features of Authoring Tools • A series of figures • List of images / objects in the project • Information about objects figures

14. Categories of Authoring Tools • Can be categorized into • Presentation software • Tools for creating production • Interactive training and education • Some authoring tools can fit into more than one category.

15. 1. Presentation software • Enable users to create and deliver business presentations in the form of the slide show. • Each major heading is the beginning of a new slide. heading

16. 1. Presentation software • Templates are used to determine how the heads and subheads are formatted and displayed over backgrounds, including: (etc PowerPoint) • position • size • font • style • color

17. Example: PowerPoint Interface Style and format templates

18. 2. Tools for creating production • Typically oriented toward producing content that is more ambitious than the slide-show level • (more interactive & dynamic) • Usually integrate all types of' multimedia data into a multitrack timeline that determines the evolution of events  • Interactivity takes the form of conditional branching (multiple linking) that can make navigation decisions based on user input and other conditions • Production software creates dynamic content • EXAMPLE: mTropolis / AppleMedia Tool / MediaForge

19. 3. Interactive training and education tools • To create education or training content. • Designed primarily to present information in an Interactive book. • Multimedia-oriented programming languages such as Visual Basic represent another authoring alternative. • Offers the higher flexibility, performance speed and power • Example: Macromedia Flash, Authorware & Director

20. Flash Interface

21. Director Interface

22. Authorware Interface

23. Types of Authoring Tools • Card based • Icon based • Time based • Object based

24. 1. Card Based • Cards are developed that have different elements associated with them. • Cards are put in stack. • Cards or pages combine to make up a book. • example of authoring tools • HyperCard (Mac) • ToolBook (Mac / Windows)

25. 2. Icon Based • Icons are gathered along the line. • Provide visual development. • Flow chart is created to show the organisation of icons or elements: • including activity list, results and done with dragging the icon/elements along the lines • each Icon represents a particular event – button, graphics, text, video • examples of authoring tools • Authorware(Mac/Windows) • IconAuthor (Windows)

26. 2. Icon Based

27. 3. Time Based • The most popular used. • Using “timeline” for organizing activities • Also using “framing” – timely adjusted depending on the frame size • Example:- Macromedia Director / Flash (Mac/Windows)

28. 3. Time Based Macromedia Director Macromedia Flash

29. 4. Object Based • Support environment based on object. • Every object is modified using properties & modifiers • The environment is based on ‘Hierarchy’ (section and sub-section). • Examples of the tools : • mTropolis (Mac/Windows) • AppleMedia Tool (Mac/Windows) • MediaForge (Windows)

30. 4. Object Based

31. Authoring Capabilities • Authoring tools should possess the following capabilities: • Interactivity • Playback • Editing • Programming / Scripting • Cross Platform • Internet Playability

32. Authoring Capabilities • Interactivity • Simple Branching • Ability to jump to any part of the product • Eg:- by mouse click, keyboard input • Conditional Branching • Ability to jump to any part of products if agreed to certain condition (statement IF-THEN) • Structured Language • complex programming to enable the interactivity and navigation

33. Authoring Capabilities • Playback • Ability to see and to test the ongoing or the completed project. Playback (timeline / movie tester)

34. Distribution / Delivery • Able to create a ‘RUN TIME’ mode. • This will exclude the need of the authoring tools during execution. Distribution / Delivery

35. Authoring Capabilities • Editing • generally, authoring tools are capable on text and image editing • capable on doing other editing too, depending on the software used Editing

36. 5. Project Organization • FLOWCHARTING and STORYBOARDING availability • this will help on configuring interactivity Flowcharting / Storyboarding

37. Authoring Capabilities • Programming • Programming used for flexibility. • Authoring tools offers an easier and less time consuming to develop:- • Visual Programming - Using icon, button, drag & drop graphic, audio . • Eg: Authorware • Scripting - programming language for authoring tools. • Eg: Director = LINGO, Flash = ActionScript • Support basic programming language - C, BASIC • to make it more flexible • Document Development Tools • Authoring tools that able to merge documents, indexing, search engineand linking

38. Authoring Capabilities // Part 1-- Setting up the objects var board:Sprite = new Sprite(); var myPoint:Sprite = new Sprite(); this.addChild(board); board.addChild(myPoint); board.graphics.lineStyle(1,0); board.x = 10; board.y = 10; myPoint.graphics.lineStyle(1,0); myPoint.y = 50; // Part 2 -- Add drag-and-drop functionality myPoint.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, startMove); function startMove(evt:MouseEvent):void { myPoint.startDrag(); } myPoint.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP, stopMove); function stopMove(e:MouseEvent):void { myPoint.stopDrag(); }

39. Programming

40. Authoring Capabilities Html code: • <html> • <body> • The content of the body element is displayed in your browser. • </body> • </html> Result: The content of the body element is displayed in your browser.

41. Authoring Capabilities • Cross Platform • Ability to perform on all platforms including MAC and Windows. Cross Platform

42. 8. Internet Playability • Ability to create the output for web enabled application. • Eg:- HTML Internet Playability